Ryder Cup 2012 Results: What US Learned from Epic Meltdown Against Europe

The United States Ryder Cup team was simply embarrassed by the Europeans.

On the last day of the 2012 tournament, with the U.S. leading 10-6, Team Europe managed to win all but three singles matches (with one being halved) against its American counterparts.

Many of the players were shocked after these events transpired at the Medinah Country Club in Illinois.

According to Reuters, U.S. captain Davis Love III couldn’t yet speak on the surprising meltdown.

"I don't have a reaction yet, we are all kind of stunned. It's a little bit shocking. We were playing so well, everyone on our team was playing so well."

Forty-five-year-old Steve Stricker, who should have been out there to hammer home the United States victory, is already looking past this disappointing finish.

"We'll pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and we're resilient. As golfers you have got to be. It's the nature of the game."

What the Americans have to learn from this miserable Sunday is how to better manage the pressure and strategize their lineup.

European captain Jose Maria Olazabal put his best players out on the course first, who were met by some of the lesser U.S. players. The results were as expected—Europe gained an early lead and never looked back, forcing the Americans to get nervous and choke down the stretch.

When the country elects a Ryder Cup captain in 2014, his personnel decisions must be more thorough and thought out than Davis Love III’s. Bubba Watson should have never gone up against Luke Donald in a critical early singles match—and that is just one of many head-scratching choices that Love III made on the final day.

While this is a tough pill for the U.S. to swallow, if it teaches the country an invaluable lesson and improves its chances of winning future Ryder Cups, it was a necessary one.